She blamed her conviction on "overzealous and intransigent prosecution, prejudiced and narrow-minded investigation, unwillingness to admit mistake, reliance on unreliable testimony and evidence, character assassination, inconsistent and unfounded accusatory theory."

Knox's lawyer Luciano Ghirga said after the verdict, "We have not lost our courage. We respect this judgment. We will appeal"

Kercher's sister Stephanie and brother Lyle were in the courtroom for the verdict and listened to it with composure. Lyle Kercher later said, "No matter what the verdict is it is never going to be a matter of celebrating.... It is probably the best thing we could have hoped for."

Shortly before the verdict was reached Knox told the Guardian that if found guilty she hoped that the U.S. government would refuse to extradite her to Italy.

"I'm definitely not going back to Italy willingly. They'll have to catch me and pull me back kicking and screaming into a prison that I don't deserve to be in. I will fight for my innocence," she told the Guardian.

Knox spent four years in an Italian prison starting with her arrest in 2007 until an appeals court freed her in 2011.

Two Italian judges and six jurors began deliberations about 10 a.m. today and emerged at 4 p.m. ET to announce their conclusion.

This is the fourth time Knox faced a verdict on Kercher's murder. Knox and Sollecito were convicted in 2009. After serving four years in prison they were freed in 2011 when an appeals court threw out the murder conviction. But Italy's supreme court ordered another appeals court to rehear the case.

Knox, who is sporting a new, short haircut, remained in her hometown of Seattle for the latest trial. Sollecito was in court today earlier today, but was not present for the verdict.

On the day the deliberations began, an Italian journalist who is writing a book about the murder wrote that Knox has given him a letter addressed to the Kercher family to be given to the Kerchers if they are willing to accept it.

Roberto Costantini wrote in Corriere della Sera today that he spoke with Meredith Kercher's sister Stephanie several days ago about the letter.

He quoted Stephanie Kercher replying to the offer of the letter, "I will have to think. I don't know, but today I don't want to read it because I do not feel the need to speak with her now."